AI rules by state · AZ
AI Rules for Lawyers in Arizona 2026
- AI disclosure required?
- Case-by-case
- Governing guidance
- AZ Courts AI Best Practices (2024)
- Sanctions on record
- None in state courts (federal: D. Ariz.)
- Competence rule
- ER 1.1
- AI / technology CLE
- No tech or AI requirement
Quick answer
Arizona does not require lawyers to disclose AI use as a blanket rule. The Arizona courts' steering committee on AI issued ethical best practices that apply the existing duties of competence, confidentiality, and communication to AI. The lawyer must verify every AI-generated citation before filing.
Ethics guidance
Arizona Steering Committee on AI and the Courts, Generative AI: Ethical Best Practices
November 2024
Arizona's reference point is the guidance from the Arizona Steering Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Courts, issued in November 2024 under a court administrative order.
The guidance applies existing duties to AI: competence and diligence, confidentiality, and communication with clients and supervisors. It does not create a new disclosure rule, and the lawyer remains responsible for verifying AI output.
Source: Arizona Courts, Generative AI Ethical Best Practices (PDF)
Disclosure rules
Are Arizona lawyers required to disclose AI use?
Arizona imposes no blanket duty to disclose AI use. The committee's guidance addresses client communication through the existing rules rather than a categorical disclosure mandate.
Counsel should review the assigned court's rules and the judge's standing order in each matter.
Source: Arizona Courts, Generative AI Ethical Best Practices (PDF)
Sanctions on record
AI hallucination sanctions in Arizona
No Arizona state-court AI-hallucination sanction is on record as of June 2026. A federal court in the District of Arizona sanctioned an attorney in 2025 for filing fabricated AI citations and referred her to her licensing bar, but that matter arose in federal court rather than an Arizona state court.
Competence duty
The competence rule and AI (ER 1.1)
The competence duty in Arizona is Ethical Rule 1.1, with a comment adopting the ABA standard that competence includes the benefits and risks of relevant technology. The courts' guidance reads this to cover AI.
CLE requirements
Continuing legal education in Arizona
Arizona requires 15 CLE hours each year, including at least 3 hours of ethics. There is no AI or technology-specific requirement as of June 2026.
How to stay compliant
A practical checklist for Arizona lawyers
Arizona's guidance comes from the courts themselves, so reading the assigned court's AI expectations is a practical first step.
Review the assigned judge's standing order and the court's local rules at the start of every matter. AI disclosure obligations generally sit at the court and judge level rather than in a single statewide rule.
Verify every citation and quotation before filing, and read the underlying authority. Most AI sanctions have resulted from citations the lawyer never personally verified.
Do not enter confidential client information into public AI tools without confirming how the tool handles data and, where there is material confidentiality risk, obtaining the client's informed consent.
Inform the client when AI use materially affects the matter, and honor any client instruction that limits AI use.
Bill only for time actually spent drafting prompts and reviewing output, not for time the tool saved.
Keep any required technology or AI continuing-education credit current, and treat AI competence as part of your duty under the competence rule.
When evaluating tools, look for citation grounding that ties output to verifiable authority, a vendor commitment not to train on client data, and audit trails. These reduce risk, but they do not replace the lawyer's own review.
Frequently asked
Arizona AI rules: common questions
Legal AI rules in nearby states
Practising across state lines? Compare Arizona’s rules with its neighbors.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, and the obligations that apply to your matter depend on your court, your judge, and your facts. Verify the current rules with the Arizona state bar and the assigned court before you rely on anything here. Last verified June 2026.
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